Analysis: Genre

Drama, Magical Realism

We call the play a drama because it's well... a play – a piece of literature meant to be performed in front of a live audience. It fits into the genre of magical realism, because it combines realistic and fantastical elements. One minute Prior is hanging out with his nurse in the outpatient clinic, the next a giant flaming book bursts through the floor. One moment Harper is in Brooklyn, the next she's hanging out with "Mr. Lies" in Antarctica. Though the play has some similarities to the genres of fantasy and surrealism, the majority of the scenes are realistic, keeping it anchored in this world, despite its moments of "magic."